Bengaluru, Aug. 19 -- The Karnataka government on Monday informed the state assembly that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala has decided to temporarily suspend excavation and exhumation work until forensic analysis is complete. State home minister G Parameshwara, who provided an update on the case, said soil and skeletal samples had been sent to laboratories and the probe would resume only after expert reports are received. "The SIT has decided to stop this till reports come," Parameshwara said in the assembly, stressing that the suspension is only temporary. He added that the course of investigation could change depending on the outcome of forensic analysis. "If chemical analysis indicates traces of human DNA, the investigation would follow a different course. The SIT has been allowed to decide. It is not the government's call," he said. Parameshwara explained that, so far, skeletal remains had been retrieved at two different locations. "At one location, a skeleton was found and at another, a few bones were discovered. These samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for analysis. Until the report is received, the excavation work has been halted," he told legislators. According to the minister, the investigative process has been limited to exhumation and sample collection. "The actual investigation, including DNA profiling and further forensic tests, is still pending. Responding to questions by the Opposition about why the complainant himself had not been arrested, he said, "There is a Witness Protection Act formed by the central government. The complainant had approached the district magistrate, and as per the committee's directions, security has been provided to him and his family. Hence, he cannot be arrested."...